This invention relates to a postmix beverage dispenser and in particular to a beverage dispenser with improved low temperature holding characteristics and a method for making such a dispenser.
Carbonated beverages are sold in restaurants, snack shops, amusement parks, fast food outlets and other establishments throughout the world. Many of these beverages are mixed and dispensed on the spot in postmix beverage dispensers. Generally, a postmix beverage dispenser is provided with a plurality of flavoring syrups and carbonated water which are chilled and mixed within the dispenser and poured into a cup or glass. It is desirable to dispense beverages at a uniform low temperature. Dispensing of a consistently cold beverage results in a more uniform mix of syrup and soda water and also allows better retention of carbonation in the beverage.
Postmix beverage dispensers generally comprise at least one soda conduit carrying carbonated water to a soda manifold, a plurality of syrup conduits carrying flavoring syrup, a cooler and a number of dispensing heads. The soda manifold is often positioned near the dispensing heads and feeds soda to the heads through short tubes. The cooler chills the soda and syrup within their respective conduits. The cooler can be a mechanical cooler similar in operation to an air conditioner or it can be an ice chest type cooler. In an ice chest type cooler, the soda and syrup conduits are embedded within an aluminum block in contact with the bottom of a chest of ice. The ice cools the block, which is often called a cold plate, which in turn cools the syrup and soda. The chilled soda and syrup is conveyed from either type of cooler through a tower which supports dispensing heads at a convenient location for filling beverage cups. During peak dispensing time, when a restaurant is serving a meal or the like, the flow of beverage through the beverage dispenser is regular and high. A uniformly chilled product is generally provided. However, in off-peak times, soda and syrup can sit for a long period of time in the conduits through the tower leading to the dispensing heads. The soda and syrup can warm due to exposure to ambient conditions resulting in a less than optimal drink. The problem is generally referred to as the casual drink problem.
In the past, people have sought to address the casual drink problem by various means. One mechanism was simply the insulation of the tower area by the filling of it with a insulation material. However, access openings and loose insulation are often required in the manufacturing process. Over a long period of time, the material within the soda and syrup tubes in the tower would still warm. Other approaches included recirculating soda water through the soda conduits in an effort to chill the conduits. Mechanical answers to the casual drink problem are complicated, subject to failure, noisy and sometimes disturbing to operators. Heretofore, the casual drink problem has not been adequately addressed and less than optimal beverages which are flat, mismixed and otherwise unacceptable to soft drink manufacturers and/or consumers have been served.
These and other problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a postmix beverage dispenser adapted to provide uniformly chilled beverages is described.